The present invention relates to an electrification preventing implement and electrification preventing method for allowing stray current to flow easily under and above ground, thereby preventing electrification caused in the earth, human bodies and objects.
xe2x80x9cStray currentxe2x80x9d is current that flows in the ground, or other body, from a high potential point to a low potential point through a path of relatively low resistance value. Examples of the stray current are earth current caused by a transmission steel tower and leakage current from the rails of an electrical railroad.
Such stray current also can flow in a body above ground, such as a metal vehicle body (automobile) where there is voltage leakage to the body and/or a potential difference between the vehicle body and the ground.
It is generally known that stray current flows in the atmosphere and the earth. Its intensity varies depending on changes in atomospheric potential caused by changes in weather, geographic features, and other natural conditions, and it also depends on artificial things such as electrical apparatus, railways, power cables, and so forth. Stray current is influenced by metalliferous veins, ground water arteries, and underground cables, if they are present. Ordinarily, in the ground at a height of 100 m above sea level, earth current of about 15 xcexcA flows. Earth current of this intensity does not affect human bodies much. However, when the earth current having an intensity of 30 to 40 xcexcA flows through human bodies, there is a strong possibility that the current can cause various hindrances to human health. Light symptoms caused by the electrification or stray current flow include stiffness in the shoulders, headache, fatigue and so forth. However, if the electrification lasts for a long time, or the charge quantity is large, the morbid symptoms become severe. In some cases, human relations are badly influenced by such poor physical conditions.
Electrification exerts a bad influence not only over human bodies, but also over plants, animals, and even inanimate objects. The bad influences can be appreciated as follows: for plants, the growth rate decreases and vitality is reduced; and for animals, the morbid symptoms appear. Though the electrostatic charge, generated by the electrification of an object, is used effectively in some cases, it may cause the following dynamic hindrances to occur: electrified objects such as powder, fibers, sheets and so forth are caught in other objects, combustible and explosive objects are ignited when static electricity is discharged, thereby inducing fires and explosions, and the electrostatic charge may cause breaking, error actions, or quality-deterioration of precision apparatus, such as semiconductor parts, and so forth.
Conventionally, as a method of inhibiting residual earth current to prevent electrification in a large area, embedment of carbon is carried out, as described below. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, for a building lot with a land area of 100 tsubo (1 tsubo=3.3 m2), embedment pits 11 with a diameter (r) of 1 m and a depth (d) of 1 to 2 m are dug at intervals (p) of 5 to 10 m; 200 to 500 kg of Carbon 12 (for example, coconut shell carbon) is embedded in a pit. The carbon 12 may have a form of grains or powder, depending on the conditions of the land 13 and the building 14. The distance between the embedment pits 11 can be changed depending on the conditions of the land and the building. FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) are sectional model views of the embedment pits 11. FIG. 2(a) shows pits provided on level ground. The pits shown in FIG. 2(b) are provided in sloping land (the building lot is an embankment). In the case of such sloping land as shown in FIG. 2(b), the carbon 12 is embedded in the natural ground at the same horizontal-level.
When the carbon is embedded, electric resistance is reduced as a whole, so that the stray current flows, swirling and spreading as shown in FIG. 3 (side view) and FIG. 4 (plan view). This reduces the electrification of humans, plants and animals, and objects present on the land in which the carbon is embedded, that is, reduces the static electricity on the ground. Such phenomena are observed at a height of about 3 m above sea level and stabilized.
FIG. 5 is a plan view which illustrates the application to a factory and a farm. The embedment pits 11 for embedding the carbon 12 are provided at an interval (p) of 10 m in the sites that constitute the apexes of a triangle. The quantities of the embedded carbon 12 are controlled according to the potential inclination. In the case of the potential inclination to be provided in the lateral direction as shown in FIG. 5, 200 kg of carbon 12 are embedded in the embedment pit 11 in the highest potential site, and 500 kg of carbon 12 is embedded in the embedment pit 11 in the highest potential site, and 500 kg of the carbon 12 is done in the embedment pit 11 in the lowest potential site. Between both sites, the quantities of the carbon to be embedded are determined according to a proportional distribution. Also, in the case of the potential inclination in the longitudinal direction of the drawing, the quantities of carbon to be embedded is controlled. The embedment pits 11 have a diameter of 1 to 1.2 m and a depth of 1 to 2 m. In this case also, it is desirable that the carbon 12 is embedded in the natural ground at the same horizontal level. In the case where carbon embedment is applied to a factory and a farm, the effects similar to the case of houses can be obtained.
However, when the embedment of carbon is carried out, 1 to 2 tons of carbon 12 is required for a house. For application to a factory (lot 100 tsubo, building 500 tsubo), 10 to 30 tons of carbon 12 are needed. In addition, many embedment pits 11 are to be dug. The overall amount of money including the construction cost is vast, thus making the economic burden very heavy. When carbon is sprayed on the ground surface to a thickness of about 3 to 10 cm, the effects can be obtained to some degree. However, the effect is inferior to that of underground embedment, and the duration of effect is shorter, that is, about half a year.
The present invention was devised in view or the above situations and it is an object of the invention to provide an electrification preventing implement and a method of preventing electrification which are capable of easily reducing stray current (earth current) using relatively inexpensive means, thereby preventing a human body, a plant, an animal and an object form being electrified.
An electrification preventing device of the invention is characterized in that granular and/or powdered Si or SiOx (0 less than x less than 2) which is charged with negative static electricity (negatively-ionized) is sealed in a glass container. The glass container that is placed in a body adjacent an area where the desired effect is to be achieved. In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the glass container is embedded in the ground. The glass container, such as a tube, contains a negatively charged material such as Si/SiOx, the purpose of which is to interrupt stray electrical current in the body and thereby reduce positive static electricity in the environment.
The relationship of the size of the coantiner, the amount of material such as Si/SiOx and other factors is relative. That is, in a case with a degree of reduction of electrification is to be high, a container, or more than one container, is used which can produce a large amount of ionization or a container of Irager size with more of the Si/SiOx is used. The size of the body in which the desired effect is to be achieves is also a factor. For example, a 20 acre plot of land, requires more and/or larger containers than a 100 square foot plot.
A method of preventing electrification according to the invention is characterized in that the electrification preventing implement is embedded underground in an upright position.